Market Overview

The global FY2021 market size of nondestructive inspection (instruments and services) by the sales of businesses was estimated as 3,050,200 million yen. Of the total market size, the global instrument market generated 918,200 million yen, while the global service market reached 2,132,000 million yen. For FY2022, the total global market is expected to increase to 3,277,100 million yen, 107.4% of the previous fiscal year, with the instrument market to be up by 10.8% on a YoY basis to 1,017,300 million yen and the service market up by 6.0% on the same basis to 2,259,800 million yen.
The supply and demand conditions for global nondestructive inspection market considerably differ by country and region, as nondestructive inspections themselves in some cases are hardly needed in emerging or developing countries where the efforts to construct infrastructure and facilities are underway. On the other hand, nondestructive inspections are indispensable in the G7 and other advanced countries where infrastructure is well-developed, and therefore, the market is well matured. The demand for nondestructive inspection services grows proportionally to the economic sizes of the countries and regions in question, because the service transactions are made basically within a country or a economic area.

The FY2021 nondestructive inspection market size (instruments and services) in Japan, by the sales of businesses, was estimated as 216,700 million yen. Of the total market, the instrument market generated 89,700 million yen, and the service market 127,000 million yen. For FY2022, the domestic inspection instruments are expected to rise by 5.5% on a YoY basis to 94,600 million yen, and inspection services to 128,700 million yen, up by 1.3% on the same basis, making the total market size to reach 223,300 million yen, 101.3% of the previous fiscal year.
The domestic nondestructive inspection instrument market has been on a recovery trend from the negative influence of corona crisis causing postponement and suspension in the product development. The market in FY2022 is still facing postponement in delivery due to supply chain disruptions and semi-conductor shortages. The influence of corona shock also partly remains in the domestic nondestructive inspection service market. When observing the demand by industry, construction, atomic-power related, and civil engineering including bridges is on the slight increase while electricity is likely to level off.  

Noteworthy Topics

Key for Digitalizing RT Data Lies in Standardization and Deregulation

RT (radiographic testing), one of nondestructive inspections, has the revisions in laws for digitalization.
RT has traditionally used a radiation sensitive film on which the image of a test object is projected to detect any flaws, and saved such a film. For the case of managing digital data without using a film is called computed radiography that uses the IP (imaging plate) instead of a film. When inspection procedures are digitalized by the rapidly advanced technologies, data saving is available without damaging the confidence and accuracy of inspection results. Such digitalization also leads to alleviation of various management fees such as cost for storage and extraction, and to an efficient management system.  

Still, digitalization of RT onsite has been done little by little, and no substantial moves toward digitalization have been in progress. Two factors involve in this situation: standardization of new technologies such as JIS, and deregulation. First, standardization will be established which brings about deregulation in the industry, and the order of these steps does not change.
In addition, upon digitalized, conventional RT inspection workflows will be changed. Although there are many advantages for it, there also is a significant factor of not everyone is unconditionally welcome.

Future Outlook

With the global nondestructive inspection instrument market forecasted to reach 3,517,700 million yen in FY2030, the total nondestructive inspection market is projected to attain 5,502,500 million yen.
As standardization and deregulation being in progress, the global nondestructive inspection service market is also showing a sign of room for new technologies to be employed.
Nevertheless, the more people concerned with inspections, the more it takes time for deployment of new technologies and systems. On the contrary, if there is simple relationship between people concerned, such as simply between a client and a service provider, the time to be spent will be reduced. For instance, in the case of a power supply facility, the owner is a client for the inspection, who, in many cases, is in charge of management and smoothly deploys new technologies and systems as suggested by the service provider. In the case of management of a power generation facility or an electricity transmission substation, cutting-edge nondestructive inspections using AI and digital transformation are increasing.

By FY2030, the domestic inspection instrument market is expected to reach 142,300 million yen, while the service market to attain 135,100 million yen, bringing about the total nondestructive inspection market size to achieve 277,400 million yen in Japan.
For the inspection instrument market, many cases of delivery postponement caused by supply chain disruption and semiconductor shortages, as well as belated supply and shortages in parts have been confirmed. Each manufacturer is doing their best for whatever they can to cope with them, such as promoting orders ahead of time and procuring alternative parts, which is likely to contribute to the market expansion. The inspection service market is also anticipated to grow steadily due to stable demand at each industry. This is because many of nondestructive inspection workflows tend to conform to statutes on a daily basis, making them difficult to substitute.

Research Outline